1. Field of the Invention
The invention involves a procedure for electroplating gold.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gold electroplating processes have many important industrial applications. Gold is extensively used in electronic and integrated circuits both because of its high electrical conductivity and its inert chemical properties. Gold is also extensively used on contact surfaces in connectors, switches and electronic circuits. Because of the extensive use of gold in electrical circuits and its relatively high cost, it is advantageous to conserve as much as possible the amount of gold used in a particular application without sacrificing device performance.
Various masking procedures have been used in the past to limit the area in which gold plating takes place. At present, it is highly desirable to have a masking procedure which can be carried out rapidly, is adaptable to industrial manufacturing procedures and is also capable of high dimensional resolution and control. Such a procedure would be highly advantageous economically both because of the reduced cost of gold used and because of lower manufacturing cost.